


As Dawn Rises (Link/Reader)

by GenderlessP



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Awkward Flirting, Ballroom Dancing, Blood and Injury, Childhood Trauma, Cooking, Crocheting, Domestic Fluff, Drunken Flirting, Eventual Romance, F/M, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gifts, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Jealousy, Knitting, Link is actually selectively mute, Mentions of alcoholism, Protectiveness, Reminiscing, Romance, Showing Off, Slow Burn, Snowball Fight, at least an attempt at ballroom dancing, its cute, mentions of abuse, possible smut haven't decided yet, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27682634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenderlessP/pseuds/GenderlessP
Summary: Also posted on Wattpad.The adventure has long since ended. The girl taken from her world must find her place in this new one. The boy caught between destinies must decide his path. But in order to do so, they must face their past and present, their emotions and their feelings. A relationship started out of necessity; will it turn to something more? Does it deserve to? Or will they both shy away from love out of fear?A story of moving forward, taking chances, and realizing that you may not know someone as much as you think.Nameless Female Protagonist/Link. Female protagonist is from our world, and knows everything Zelda. Takes place after Twilight Princess, but the two of them actually went through the events of the game together, which will be referenced throughout the story. There are mentions of past abuse on the protagonist's side.  I didn't want to give her a name because really I see this as a possible Reader-Insert, but there are details I wanted to be specific. I hope you enjoy this story.[UPDATE COMING SOON]
Relationships: Link & Original Character(s), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Original Character(s), Link/Reader, Zelda & Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	1. Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is actually a second fanfiction for Zelda that I'm writing. I actually have another story I haven't updated in like 3 years... But that's not important right now. (I'm trying to work up the fire to rewrite/continue it)
> 
> The main character is completely nameless, and for the most part her features will not be specific. She is your muse.
> 
> This story came to me partially in a dream and partially because I went through something that made me realize how dearly I hold Twilight Princess and its Link to my heart. I wanted to convey that type of feeling in this story.
> 
> This story is like a collection of oneshots, but there will be a plot slowly coming into play. I hope you enjoy this as much as I loved writing it with all my heart.

"Should I move to Kakariko? Or, what about Lake Hylia?" Her finger glided across the map laid on the table, stopping whenever she debated a location. "Although, I don't remember any villages or houses by Lake Hylia, except for Falbi and Fyer's flying game." She chuckled, bringing her hands up to rest her head upon them in thought, her eyes wandering to look at the only other person in the room, who was busy placing his muddy boots by the door as a reminder to wash them later. She leaned back in her chair. "What do you think, Link? Ha, that rhymes."

Link turned to look at her, shrugging silently as he made his way over to where she was, passing the table with the map and standing before the fireplace with a cauldron hanging over. He could feel her eyes watching him as he grabbed the knife and flint from the end table beside the fireplace, striking them together to create a flame below the pot to begin the process of cooking dinner. Things were silent between them, Link too focused on preparing the ingredients and she engrossed in watching him work. 

That is, until the creaking of a wooden chair being pushed backward sounded out, a low grunt following as its only inhabitant stood up, leaning her weight to the left to avoid aggravating an injury on her right leg. Link stopped his actions for a moment, turning his head to look at her. 

"I'm alright," She assured him, softly limping her way toward the new sofa and 'coffee table', as she called it, Link had received after his return home to Ordon as a gift. She sat down on the rightmost side, where she always sat, and took up her unfinished knitting project. Only then did she continue. "Its healing up nicely, so I'll probably be good to go soon enough. Ah, but, Ordon is so nice. Maybe I should move in here!" She laughed heartily, her hands working on their own from years of practice. "Nah, I'm just kidding. You're probably tired enough of seeing my mug everyday. Plus, you'll probably be called to Hyrule Castle soon enough, once Zelda finally has her coronation." A big smile plastered itself on her face, as if she was proud of the Princess like a mother would be of her own child. 

Link turned back to preparing dinner. He knew that what she said was true, as it always was. Even during their time together dealing with the Twilight, she always told him of what was to come next. Whether it was something simple like the location of treasure, or something as big as Ganondorf taking control of the Princess' body, she was always right. He never understood at the beginning, how she knew so much, until Midna pressed her hard enough that she confessed the truth.

At first, it was impossible to believe. That she was from another world, where the stories of Hyrule were merely a game to be played, and that she knew so much from playing the events they were currently going through. It tossed and turned in both Link and Midna's minds, the two of them conversing in secret- well, Midna did most of the talking- in an attempt to grasp it. It wasn't until the encounter with the Light Spirit Lanayru and Zant that they began to believe her. While Midna was incapacitated, she hurriedly guided Link to the Princess without a second thought, taking them through a secret waterway that led back to the Castle, explaining that the Princess would have to temporarily sacrifice herself for Midna to survive, but that she would come back. And come back she did, possessed by Ganondorf's malice, which she had also predicted.

A shudder of pained remembrance almost made its way up Link's spine. The battle against the King of Evil was still fresh, and the events afterward still lingered. It was during that battle she sustained her current injury, catching Link in a mistake that could have cost him his life. Shoving his beast-form out of the way of Ganon's claws, those talons of his sliced her instead, although only on the lower part of her right leg. The injury was deep enough to see bone, and if it wasn't for the Princess' quick thinking, neither of them wanted to think about what could have happened.

But, in the end, it was her actions that allowed him the chance to gain the upper hand, taking Ganon's piggish form down and reducing the battle to horseback in Hyrule Field before a one-on-one, eventually ending the villain's life for good. He owed it to her for that, which is why he opened his door for her to stay with him until she healed, one day going off and finding somewhere to live herself. She could no longer return to the world she came from, for reasons beyond her authority, though she did not seem to mind. Link could only guess what was going on in her head from time to time.

His thoughts were broken by the sound of her humming. He recognized the tune to be the same one she always hums when she's working, though the name escaped him. Something about a moving castle. That wasn't something he could entirely believe either, although he wouldn't put it past the line of impossibility.

Placing the lid atop the pot to let it cook on its own, Link cleaned up his area and made his way over to the same sofa she was on, sitting a ways away from her, on the leftmost side to rest after a long day. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, opting to simply rest his mind for the time being as he listened to her clack her knitting needles together, the same tune coming from her, although more quietly this time as she likely picked up that he wanted to relax.

The peace was short lived, however, as the familiar voices of the village children resounded from outside the door. "Hey, Link!" They cried, excitement evident in their tones. A chuckle came from beside him as the humming stopped, her needles continuing though. 

"I can tell them you're busy, if you'd like." She offered. "Or I could just say you died." Her usual chuckle replaced itself with a snarky laugh.

Wordlessly, Link lifted himself from the couch and headed toward the door, slipping on a simple pair of sandals before opening it. The bright orange of twilight greeted him, seeping through the branches of Ordon's forestry. He darted his eyes downward, off the platform his door was seated on and at the ground, where the children all proudly stood. 

Talo, Malo, Beth, and Colin all stood in a line, waving ecstatically for Link to come down. "You promised you'd play with us today!" Talo shouted, before stopping and standing straighter. "Well, not play... but... you know! Show us some moves!" The other children nodded in agreement, except Malo, who just stood expressionless as always. 

Link had forgotten about his arrangement with the children, as his new life as a Hero often had him living from moment to moment. Returning to the usual yet hard work of herding and caring for the goats of Ordon Village was something Link welcomed, but also found difficult to readjust to. His mind was often filled of thoughts of what was to come next, whether it was dinner or the possibility of a returning evil. Not to mention the fact that he currently had someone living with him, depending on him for shelter and food until they could move on by their own.

Nodding, Link made his way down the ladder from his home, standing before the children who had so earnestly called him outside. Talo was almost jumping with excitement, Beth too, until Colin kindly interjected with his thoughts.

"Um, Link? How are you going to show us things if you don't have your sword?" He asked, pointing to where a sword's hilt should have been visible behind Link's left shoulder. Link's eyes widened slightly in realization, turning his head to look, only to find no sword on his back. He gave the children a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head.

Malo's cold stare bore into Link as they made eye contact. "You've been distracted lately, Link." He stated. Talo eagerly nodded along with Beth, who punctuated it with a 'yes, yes!'

"Yeah, Link! You've been really distracted lately!" Talo almost shouted. His eyes suddenly lit up, as if he thought of an amazing idea. "Is it 'cause of that girl you got living with you? Huh?" He prodded, taking a step toward Link. Beth came up quickly next to him, placing a hand on Talo's shoulder as she excitedly hopped up and down.

"Yeah! Is it because of her? I remember seeing her when you came to Kakariko those times! We never got to properly meet her!" Beth crossed her arms, tilting her head in curiosity. She leaned back on her weight, giving Link a suspicious look. "All of a sudden, you come back to Ordon with her, and we still haven't met her? What is she, your girlfriend?"

Everyone, including Link, was taken aback by Beth's incredulous question. Link felt himself become a bit nervous, his eyes looking off to the side. The last thing he wanted was for the kids to get an idea in their head- then they'd never let go of it. It would continue on and on until they either found something new to focus on or they were proven right in some way.

"No way!" Talo and Colin shouted in unison, looking up to share a look with one another before laughing slightly. "Link doesn't have a girlfriend! If he did, he'd tell us!"

"... And if anything, it would be Ilia." Malo added stoically. All four children nodded together, agreeing with the statement made. 

Link felt himself become flustered, a blush beginning to set in, as he put up a hand and shook his head. This caused the children to still, looking up at him as if they expected him to say something. Instead, Link smiled and pointed his thumb behind him to his house, insinuating he was going to go back inside to grab his sword. Talo began to jump in glee, effectively pulling the attention away from the earlier conversation onto their newest task; having fun with swords.

Making his way back up inside, Link opened the door to his home, his eyes landing on the pot that was currently simmering over a low flame in the fireplace. It wouldn't be ready for another hour or so, he deduced. Walking inside, he climbed up the ladder leading to one of the two lofts in his home, where his spare sword was kept on a display rack on a table. Link picked up the blade, strapping the sheathed sword to his back properly, before stretching his arms slightly and making his way back down.

He didn't notice that she had continued her humming when he left, but he noticed its absence again when he landed back on the main floor. "Those kids sure are a handful, aren't they?" She turned to look at him, smiling. 

Link paused before smiling back and nodding lightly. With that, he exited the house again and returned to play with the children like he promised. After a few minutes of careful sword demonstrations, which earned shouts of excitement and praise from the children, Talo and Colin decided to run back to their homes to retrieve their own practice blades. They had each received their own wooden mock swords carefully carved by the latter's father, Rusl, after their return from Kakariko as both a gift and a means to protect themselves in the future.

Colin certainly had the aptitude for swordsmanship, Link thought, taking a seat upon the ground. Talo, while talented in strength, tended to rush head-first into situations without thinking, which would often make things difficult. But with time and proper training, the two of them would be a force to be reckoned with soon enough. 

While lost in his thoughts during their break, Link didn't notice the two boys return, another figure coming up behind them. "Hey, Link!" The person called, grabbing his attention. It was Rusl, Colin's aforementioned father, making his way up the path to the opening before Link's home, a small leather satchel resting on his hip, his hand placed upon it as if it were a secret. "My boy there came home to get his sword, so I thought I'd come on over before you got started again. I have something here." Rusl patted the satchel, offering Link a small smile.

Link stood up from his spot with a nod, approaching Rusl with a look of curiosity. The older man continued, "Is your friend here?" He asked. The children audibly stopped their playing and chatting to listen. "When she came to pick up Uli's old knitting set the other week, she asked if there was somewhere she could get some thin leather. I happened to find some while going through the storage." 

"I'm right here."

The sound of her voice took them all by surprise, Link and the children quickly turning to look at the doorway to Link's home. There in the doorframe, she stood, supporting herself on the handle. "I heard your voice from inside, Rusl. I was actually hoping to speak to you as well." She made her way to the edge of the platform carefully, beginning a slow descent down the ladder, all eyes on her.

Rusl passed Link to offer her a hand down the ladder, supporting her until she made it to the ground. "Come now, you didn't have to climb down. I could've gone up there myself just fine." He said. 

She shook her head lightly in response. "No, no. Its okay. I got to move around a bit more anyway. I've been sitting around for almost a month now." She chuckled slightly, averting her gaze for a moment to look at the children, before quickly turning her attention back on Rusl. "I wanted to give you this, as thanks for letting me have that knitting kit. I'm loving it so much." She reached into the pocket of her woolen cardigan, one of Link's old ones, and pulled out something strangely shaped, knitted from a blue and grey yarn blend. She handed it to Rusl with a big smile.

"Oh my," he started, gazing at the item in his hands. "This is wonderfully done."

Her smile grew wider as a modest blush appeared on her face. "Its called a Tea Cozy. You place it over a teapot to keep the contents warm for longer. I noticed you guys had a beautiful tea set in your home, so I tried to match the colors. I hope that its an acceptable form of payment for what you've done for me." She paused. "... I also hope it isn't weird that I took note of your tea set."

That comment earned a laugh from Rusl, who placed a caring hand on her shoulder. "Not at all, dear. There was no need to give us a gift, but its greatly appreciated. I know my wife will love it." He placed the cozy in his satchel, taking out another item in its place. Two moderately-sized squares of a light brown leather, folded to allow for better transportation in the bag, in perfect condition. "Here, I wanted to give you these. You said you were looking to get some leather; I happened to find some in my storage. You can take them. I doubt they'll ever be put to use otherwise." 

She took them from him with brightened eyes, feeling the leather softly with her fingers. With an ecstatic thanks, she gave a quick bow to the older man, placing the leather securely in her pocket. 

"Well, with that, I'll get on going." Rusl said, bidding goodbye. Turning to head back home, he made eye contact with the group of children all staring in silence, too busy watching the interaction that they didn't even bother to try and hide their interest, Link awkwardly standing in his spot. Rusl gave a small nod to his son before walking off down the path to the village. 

After a few seconds of awkward silence, everyone standing in their spots, Beth made the first move, proudly walking over to the girl standing by the ladder and grabbing both of her hands in her own. "Hello!" She greeted, looking up into the older girl's eyes. "My name is Beth. I remember seeing you in Kakariko! What's your name?" 

"Yeah!" Talo chimed in, running up to her. "We all remember you from back in Kakariko! We never got to meet you then, but now you're here! Why are you staying here, anyway? And with Link at th-" 

Malo interrupted Talo by punching him in the arm, earning a groan of pain from the latter. "What my brother here means is, what brings you to Ordon Village?" 

The girl's eyes shifted between all the children in anxiety, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the questions. She quickly glanced over at Link, who's eyes she met with, before snapping back down to look at Beth. "Ah, well, when Link and I stopped in Kakariko, I was always talking with Renado or Luda. I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier, especially when I came to the village," she apologized, making sure to look at all of them. "I'm afraid I sustained a pretty bad injury, so until I can fully handle being on my own, Link is graciously letting me stay with him."

Talo jumped up and down again. "Oh! Oh! What kind of injury! What does it look like? How did you get it?"

"Talo!" Colin chided. "You can't just ask someone that!"

Laughter resounded from the elder girl, bringing the attention back onto her. "Oh, that's okay. You see, we were fighting a... large boar, and I'm afraid I just slipped up and got scratched by its tusks. Its not something you want to see." She explained, a nervous smile setting itself upon her features. She let go of Beth's hands to scratch the back of her neck. "I'm not one for fighting. I'm not as strong as you two..." She placed her hands on top of Colin and Talo's heads playfully, smiling brightly. "... Will grow up to be." 

The two boys responded with their own brighter smiles, running off to pretend-spar with one another in excitement. Malo followed silently, however Beth stayed behind. She tapped on the other girl's arm to grab her attention, waving her hand to bring her down to her height. 

"What's up, Beth?" She inquired, crouching to offer the girl her ear. Beth cupped her hands over her mouth and whispered something, before giggling and running off, leaving the girl shocked to silence. Standing still as stone, a blush of violent crimson spread across her face, all the way to the tip of her rounded ears, and even down to her neck. "Oh, goodness," she sighed, placing a hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat, which had picked up in speed for a moment. "That shocked me."

The feeling of someone coming to stand right next to her caused her to turn, her eyes meeting Link's cold blue ones. That only made her blush deepen, eyes darting everywhere except for his face. He was a good few inches taller than her, so she often had to look upward in order to see his face, but now she was staring awkwardly at the ground. Link tilted his head at her in confusion, trying to gage her expression for an answer. 

She responded by putting up both of her hands, shaking her head lightly. "Its okay! Beth just said something kind of funny." Her head turned to look at the children, all happily playing together... except Beth, who was looking at the two of them with a sly expression, which quickly dissipated once Link also turned to look over.

"Don't worry about me," the girl beside Link started again, patting his shoulder. "Go ahead and play with them all you'd like; I can put out the fire and serve dinner once you're done. Would you like to eat together today? Or is it more of a relaxed day? I can wait for you."

Link put a hand to his chin in thought, before coming to a decision.

"Let's eat together today. I hope you don't mind waiting."


	2. Lavender and Leather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link becomes slightly worried, and remembers something he doesn't want to. Meanwhile, the girl's day is spent preparing something special. The two become slightly closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a warning, this chapter references a mention of child abuse. Its not directly said, but heavily implied. Please exercise caution if you are sensitive to the subject.

Link opened the door to his home, letting out a soft breath at the reprieve it offered him from the cold morning air. Having just finished the morning routine at the ranch, the sun was setting itself higher in the sky, although it was still early in the day. Closing the door behind him, Link was surprised to hear a soft groan come from the sofa, followed by light shuffling.

While the sound of the door had disturbed her, she was still sound asleep, clutching and curled around a pillow as if her life depended on it. The sight puzzled Link; she never usually slept this late. By the time he was back home from the ranch in the mornings, she was happily tittering about with a cup of lavender tea, offering a 'welcome back' as he shuffled out of his mud ridden boots. It was something the two of them had gotten used to.

But now, she was completely off in her dreams upon the sofa which she claimed as her place of rest every night. Link certainly had no room in his home for an extra bed, so he had originally opted to sleep on the floor as she took his. They had that arrangement only for a night or two, although she was certainly keen on expressing her guilt over robbing him from comfort, despite the fact he offered it. When the sofa came in, however, she was perfectly happy sleeping on it instead, saying "You deserve your comfort. Besides, your bed smells like a pine forest." With such a large smile on her face, he couldn't tell if it was a complaint or a compliment.

Taking extra care to be quiet, Link switched from his boots to a simple pair of indoor slippers, stepping over to the kitchen and grabbing out a small steel pot. He filled it with water from a bucket freshly fetched at dawn and hung it in the furnace, trying his best not to make too much noise as he started up the fire. After retrieving a jar of dried lavender from atop a shelf, he paused, opting to grab some mint as well. Placing them on the table near the furnace, Link took a seat to wait for the water to boil.

Link leaned back in his seat, listening to the fire crackle as he let himself get lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps he would go for a ride on Epona today. Its been too long since the two of them simply rode around, not having to worry about herding goats or jumping over obstacles. Maybe he should do the laundry. The sooner it gets done the better. Maybe, before returning to the ranch to complete the evening routine, he could try to collect some honey from a nearby beehive. He remembered they were running a bit low.

The sound of a light whistling coming from the pot had brought Link back to reality, stepping out of his chair to remove the freshly-boiled water from the heat. Placing it on top of a rag on the table, he reached inside a small cupboard for two ceramic mugs, one plain and one with a floral design. He had been given that cup by Sera, Beth's mother, on one of his birthdays, though his new roommate had taken quite a liking to it. Link didn't mind; he wasn't particularly attached to that cup anyway.

As soon as the cups had been placed on the table, Link heard more shuffling come from the sofa. Looking up, he saw her sit upright slowly, a soft yawn escaping her as she stretched. Her hair was pointing in all directions, tussled by what must've been a very deep sleep. The sight was a little funny, he thought, feeling a slight smile tug at his lips. Walking over to her, he placed a hand on her head, tilting his own when she looked up at him with tired eyes.

"Good morning," she greeted, earning a nod from Link. "Sorry for sleeping in late again. I've just been feeling a little tired lately."

He could tell that her statement was true. She had dark marks under her eyes, not too noticeable, but definitely there. For the past few days, ever since first meeting with the children, she had been sleeping in later than usual, and was beginning to look a little lethargic. Link hoped she wasn't beginning to get sick. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

The memory made Link anxious. Back when they were battling the Twilight, there was a time when she had begun to show signs of wear, her pace slowing and her breathing becoming ragged. Still, she urged them to press on; they were almost at the Peak Province, where the first shard of the Mirror of Twilight was located. It wasn't until she collapsed on the road to Zora's Domain that they decided to pause their adventure to allow her to rest. But, even as the night dragged on, she was only getting worse.

Eventually, it became enough that Midna suggested they take her to Renado, the Shaman of Kakariko Village. Since the village was too far to travel to by foot, they decided to warp, which Link would, in many ways, come to regret. The strain on her body was too much, and when they landed in Kakariko she had begun to cough up and choke on her own blood. If it wasn't for Luda standing right outside when they needed her, Link was sure he would have yelled for help.

Renado immediately began working, laying her down in a bed at the old hotel and attempting to use fresh spring water to help with her coughing. When that didn't work, he sent Link to retrieve a fairy, in hopes that direct magic would do something, while in the meantime he gave her a red potion. The look on Renado's face wasn't one Link wanted to see when he returned with a bottled fairy.

"Nothing is working on her," he explained solemnly. "It is as if she has a resistance to everything I have tried."

It was then that it clicked into place for Link. She wasn't from Hyrule, not even the realm it resided in. She was not the same as a Hylian or even a Zora; she was something else entirely. It made sense that the usual remedies they used wouldn't work on someone who lacked a life force given by the Goddesses. 

Link tried his best to explain this to Renado without giving away all the details, but Renado is a smart man. He understood immediately, even if he didn't really _understand_ it, and left to prepare more archaic, herbal remedies to try, leaving Link to watch over her in case something happened. For a while, he was subjected to seeing her struggle to stay alive in her sleep, her brows furrowing in pain as her fever increasingly got worse. 

But suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she began to try and rise out of bed in panic. Link tried his best to calm and restrain her, but when she grabbed him by his sleeve and looked at him with pure fear, he decided to hear her out. He sat her on the edge of the bed and gave her a look that implored her to continue.

"What time is it? Please. I need to go home!" She yelled in a delirious panic, gripping Link with strength he had never seen her demonstrate. Tears began to furiously fall from her eyes as she lowered her head. "Please! My dad... He..."

What had come from her mouth next made Link rise from his chair in surprise, causing her to cry even harder. "Please! Please, don't tell anyone!" She begged. "I can't- I don't know what he'd do if he- I just-" Realizing his mistake, Link sat back down and placed a hand on her shoulder as she cried, unsure of how to handle his own feelings that were brewing at her recent words.

Eventually, she had cried enough that she fell back asleep. Once her breathing had steadied more and her hands had stopped shaking, Renado reentered the room with a tray carrying a cup of tea and some sort of porridge. Upon seeing the expression Link wore he excused him to wait outside. 

Sitting in the dark of night on the porch of the hotel, Link held his head in his hands. What she had said, the way she had said it, it haunted him. Midna appeared from his shadow, but he didn't look at her or even move. He simply couldn't bring himself to react.

"I..." Midna had started, looking up at the stars. "I can't believe there are parents out there who would do such a thing to their own children." 

That was a statement Link couldn't agree with more. Even now, he couldn't understand how someone like the girl before him could endure such a thing and still greet everyone around her with a warmth unparalleled. It was as if it had never happened- though he knew that wasn't true. But, he knew it was one of the reasons why she wasn't bothered by being unable to return home.

Taking his hand off of her head, Link motioned to the table, where all the ingredients to make her favorite lavender tea were laid out. She blinked a little bit, then smiled and stood, walking over to the table to begin making the tea. While Link would've been fine making it, he didn't know how to. The lavender tea was something she introduced to him, taking him by surprise one afternoon when she asked for his opinion on something she was trying. It was foreign in the beginning, but now he has to admit its one of his favorite drinks.

"Oh, you grabbed mint too? Would you like mint lavender tea?" She called to him, holding the jar of fresh mint leaves in her hand. "I can make that if you'd like. I'm sure it'd taste pretty good."

Link nodded in agreement. In truth, he had grabbed the mint in hopes she would incorporate it into her tea. If she was indeed getting sick, the mint would likely help ease any symptoms she would feel. He felt that it was something he could do to help.

Once the tea had been made, they sat across from each other in silence, enjoying some small biscuits along with it as a sort of breakfast. The taste of the tea was mostly the same, but the sweet, biting feeling of fresh mint was certainly a welcome addition. Sighing after a large sip of her tea, she began, "Its getting colder now, isn't it? Fall is coming," the old cardigan she always wore began to slip off her shoulder, but she shuffled so it would stay on. "Do you wear gloves when you work on the ranch?"

Swallowing a piece of biscuit, Link shook his head no. The leaver gloves he usually wore were fingerless, so they did nothing to keep his hands warm if he needed it. Wool gloves weren't good to wear while working either; they got dirty quickly and hay would get stuck between the fibers. So, he went without them altogether. It didn't really matter. He could just come home and start a fire if he was cold, anyway.

"I see. I bet your hands get cold all the time." She laughed. "I remember the time when you had to grab my hand to help me up a ledge- they were like ice." Placing her cup down on the table, she stifled another yawn before picking up a biscuit and shoving the whole thing in her mouth like a chipmunk.

Link didn't really understand the point of the conversation, but before he could contemplate it too hard, she picked herself up from the table, taking both her empty cup and his and placing them by a washbasin. After being assured that she'd clean up the table, Link decided to get started on the errands he had thought about earlier. 

The day continued on for the two of them, although in different places. Link took Epona for a ride around Faron woods, visiting both the springs of Ordona and Faron, and letting her graze. Once the sun had come to its point directly in the center of the sky, signaling it was afternoon, he returned to the entrance of Ordon woods, stopping next to a patch of trees to find the beehive he remembered seeing a few days ago. 

All it took was a well-placed arrow to have it falling to the ground, splitting open to reveal the perfect honeycombs inside. Scooping the contents into a jar, Link placed it in his bag before climbing back atop Epona and heading home to complete his final tasks.

In the meantime, after cleaning up the table and wishing Link a goodbye, her day began by fixing up the sofa, folding her blankets, and fixing herself up in front of a mirror. Once that was done, she took a seat in her usual spot, looked from one side to the other, and reached for the woven basket that held her knitting kit, yarn, and squares of leather Rusl had gifted her. Shuffling the items around, she reached to the very bottom, where something special was waiting to be completed. 

She got to work, trying to get as much done as she could in the small window of time while he was gone. She wanted it to be a surprise, so that meant working when she knew he wouldn't be able to see, and that didn't happen very often. That's why, when she felt like she wasn't getting enough done, she would stay awake into the early hours of the morning, knitting away until moments before he would wake. 

Just as she began celebrating the fact the first part of her surprise was finished, she heard someone climbing up the ladder to the house. Quickly stashing the item into her basket, she hastily dropped it to the floor, watching as Link walked back into the house with a jar of honey in hand, nodding to her in greeting.

"Welcome back," she replied, waving. "I see you got some honey. That's good."

Link didn't reply as he walked into the kitchen and placed the jar on the shelf, turning to grab the basket of laundry sitting near the ladder to the storage. After making sure the clothes inside were his, as they did their laundry separately, he nodded to her again before leaving once more.

She sighed in relief, thankful that he didn't pick up on the strange fact that she was just sitting on the couch trying to act normal. After deliberation, however, she realized that she didn't have any time between his tasks of doing the laundry and completing the evening routine at the ranch before coming home for the rest of the night to properly get started on the last step of her surprise. "I guess I'll have to do another all-nighter." She relinquished, turning her attention to something else. "I don't have much time left."

Now, it was the darkest hours of the night. Link silently jolted awake, the haunting image of the King of Evil still fresh in his mind. He sat up in his bed, trying to ground himself as he wiped away the sweat that dripped from his brow. But as he steadied his breathing, Link noticed a soft light coming from the bottom floor, a strange sound pricking at his ears. 

Looking over the edge of the loft, he saw that the light was coming from a small candle placed on the coffee table, offering illumination to the lone girl sitting there. Her hands were moving in such a way that Link could tell she was sewing; her arm stretching to pull the thread tight before pricking it through and repeating. After watching her for a few moments, it registered. This was why she had been so tired recently- she had been staying up late into the night to work on something. 

While he was definitely relieved that she wasn't becoming sick, as he didn't know if he could handle to see her in such a state again, Link still felt that staying up so late wasn't good for her. He had moved to get her attention, but then paused. It wasn't any of his business what she decided to do. She is capable on her own, he thought.

Link laid back down, turning away from the soft glowing of the candle downstairs. Listening to the sound of her working, he let himself drift back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Link awoke to the sun being completely shut out by pure white clouds, a cold breeze making its way through the small window next to his bed. She was right; Fall is coming soon, which meant it was only going to get colder. Rubbing his hands together to garner some warmth, Link slipped on his boots and made his way to open the door.

"Wait!" 

The sound of her voice made him stop in his tracks, turning quickly to look at her, noting the urgency in her tone. She quickly stood from the sofa, reaching into her knitting basket before pulling out something consisting of a light brown material and hiding it behind her back. "I, um..." She started shyly, a nervous blush setting in on her features as she approached him. moving her hands from behind her back, she held out the item for Link to take. "I... made these for you. As thanks. For taking care of me."

In her hands were a pair of leather gloves, perfectly stitched to rival a professional. Despite the material they appeared to be made of, however, they seemed a little thicker than usual. Picking them up delicately, Link noticed that they were lined with knitted wool on the inside, allowing for better warmth, but still making them usable for work. A smile couldn't help but make its way onto his face.

"You don't have to say anything. I made them just for you. I hope you like them, Link." 

And so, Link went to work with warm hands, and a warmed heart.


	3. Harvest Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the day of the Harvest Feast in Ordon. Link and the girl join the celebrations, though things start off and end a little rocky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving to those in America, who are celebrating. The fact that it's American Thanksgiving is actually why I wrote this chapter- I was hoping to include a festival of sorts, and it just so happened to work out. I live in Canada, so our Thanksgiving was last month. 
> 
> Just as a small warning, there is a small anxiety attack present in this chapter, and symptoms of anxiety. If you feel like that would make you uncomfortable, please exercise caution when reading.

"Wait, how much rosemary was it again?"

"I think I cut my finger- oh no, wait, that's just blood from the meat."

"We should've started this a lot earlier than we did, Link."

Today was a special day for the residents of Ordon Village. It was the first day of Fall, and on this day a feast was held to celebrate the end of the harvest, appropriately named "Harvest Feast". Everyone would cook a special dish, typically with pumpkin, and serve it at the celebration which was held in the large, open field of Ordon Ranch, decorated with hanging lanterns and glittering ornaments. It was certainly a day to look forward to.

Especially for Link and his companion, who were currently huddled in the kitchen of his home, rushing to complete the dish for the feast in time. They had decided to make a meat stew together, Link cooking the ingredients and she preparing them, as it was expected that they bring something to the table- literally. 

Normally Link would be fine cooking on his own, but she insisted on helping him, saying the usual line of "Two is better than one!" before hopping into the kitchen to begin cutting the ingredients. At first, he had expected her to be of simple help, but now he had to admit she had the skills for cooking, bashfully admiring the way she could tell what the dish needed just from a single taste.

Now, all that was left was to pour the stew into a properly-sized serving bowl, as carrying the whole cauldron was certainly out of the question. Digging through his cupboards, Link handed her anything he thought the dish could fit into, internally cursing every time she told him that it wouldn't be enough to hold the amount they made. In the end, he didn't have anything big enough, and they stood in defeated silence, debating whether or not they should simply bring as much as one bowl could hold, or bring two medium sized bowls. Yes, it was a ridiculous thing to be mulling over, and yes, they were running out of time, but they both thought they were two equally good ideas.

"I got it!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air before landing them on both of Link's shoulders. "We didn't use pumpkin in this dish, right? Despite the fact pumpkins are huge here," Link nodded rapidly to get her to continue. "Why don't you just put it in the pumpkin! Use the pumpkin as the bowl! I'm sure it'll be big enough!"

She didn't have to say another word for Link to go off running to the storage, returning with a large pumpkin in his arms and placing it on the table with a large 'thump'. Standing back, she watched him use a large knife to cut open the top around the stem, discarding it off to the side to begin scooping out the innards as quickly as he could. In the meantime, she decided to maneuver around him to clean the kitchen, putting away all of the unused bowls and placing the cutting board and utensils in the washbasin. 

Once Link was finished with the pumpkin innards, she placed the bowl on the shelf and covered it with a cloth before holding each side of the now-hollowed pumpkin, keeping it secure as Link poured the contents of the cauldron into it as best as he could, using a spoon to scrape the rest. Sighing with relief, the two of them were relieved to know that the pumpkin was indeed the perfect size.

"Oh! You should put the top back on so that it looks like you just brought a pumpkin to the dinner, but when you open it they'll all be pleasantly surprised!" She laughed, meaning it as a joke, but Link thought it was a good idea. He placed the top back on the pumpkin, making sure it looked as smooth as possible, before looking over at her with a grin. That only made her laugh harder.

Looking out the window, Link saw that it was definitely time for the dinner to start. Grabbing the pumpkin as securely as he could, he lifted it off of the table, finding it to be much heavier than a regular pumpkin, seeing as it was filled with soup. Carefully walking to the door, Link put his shoes on, and turned to look at the girl still standing in the kitchen.

She didn't move or say anything for a few seconds, before awkwardly smiling and waving to him. "Have a good time at the feast! Oh, wait, you probably need help taking that down the ladder- I'll be right there."

Link shook his head no, which made her pause. In truth, he would need help taking it down the ladder, but that wasn't what he meant. Walking back over to her, pumpkin still in his arms, he tilted his head in question. 

"You're not coming?" His voice was barely above a whisper. 

The look on her face changed to one of confusion, before landing on surprise. "I-" She stuttered, clasping her hands together as her eyes shifted. "I'm allowed to come? I thought, maybe, since I don't actually live here, I wasn't allowed to..." She looked down and rubbed her thumbs together for a moment, before anxiously looking up at him.

Smiling, Link motioned with his head toward the door, signaling that he wanted to head out. She returned the smile, although it was small, and ran her fingers through her hair before patting down her usual outfit of borrowed pants, a blue tunic, and a cream cardigan. "Do I look okay?" She asked, to which he answered honestly with a nod. Together, the two of them exited the house and made their way toward the ranch.

As they walked side by side in silence through the town, seeing as everyone was already at the dinner, Link couldn't help but notice the way she kept her hands clasped together, occasionally tightening before relaxing as she let out a small breath of air. Her pace began to slow, but once it became noticeable she sped up, taking another breath. 

Initially, Link wasn't going to question her, but as they got closer and closer to the pathway leading to the ranch he could tell she was getting more and more restless. Once they reached the bottom of the hill, Link stopped, turning toward her with a look of concern. 

When she looked up at him, she made a face he couldn't necessarily describe before immediately looking to the ground. "I'm sorry." 

The apology took Link completely by surprise; it wasn't what he was expecting. He curiously watched her as she shifted from one foot to the other, immediately regretting that due to her still-healing injury, waiting to hear an explanation.

"Honestly..." She started, her voice weak. "I'm... I'm incredibly, incredibly anxious. I've never been to something like this before, and I mean, I'm super excited, but at the same time I'm just so afraid- I can't explain it. I know it's stupid, but a part of me just wants to get out of here. I feel like I'm just- I feel like I'm suffocating." Her hands found their way to her head, where she lightly tugged on her hair as her breathing began to speed up. 

Link could only look at her, as his hands were full, but even then he didn't know what he would do if they weren't. He couldn't think of anything to say; it wasn't like he was never anxious, it was just that he never experienced it the way she was now. When he was anxious, it was because of something dangerous- like facing a threat. Of course, her reason for being upset wasn't invalid at all in his eyes. He was sure that if he was in her place, he'd likely be anxious too.

"Its so pathetic." Those words of hers brought Link out of his head, moving to place the pumpkin on the ground before carefully placing his hands around her arms, pulling them down softly to stop her from tugging at her hair any harder. Reluctantly, she let go, looking up at him slowly as if she was afraid he would be angry at her. Instead, she was greeted by one of his signature soft smiles, to which she tried to imitate, only to look off to the side. "I'm sorry." She apologized again, but Link moved to be in her view again and shook his head no, still smiling, trying to show her that she had no reason to be.

When she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, Link put a reassuring hand on her head, waiting until she had calmed herself down enough to continue. "I like it when you do that." She admitted, her eyes opening. Moving his hand off of her head, she suddenly stood as tall as she could on the tips of her toes, reaching to place her own hand at the top his head. The action surprised Link a little bit, who made a funny face, as she began to laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Wait, sorry, I'll stop apologizing. Wait- augh!" Throwing her hands in the air in mock anger, she burst into a fit of genuine giggles, grabbing onto her stomach as she bent over, trying to stop her laughter.

Despite the fact he was a bit confused by the sudden change in mood, Link was glad that she was back to being her usual self. Picking the pumpkin up off of the ground, he waited for her to finish laughing and motioned to continue up the path to the ranch, where he was sure everyone was waiting for them to arrive. After one more deep breath, she made an expression of determination and followed alongside him.

The path to the ranch wasn't long, so it was only a short moment before they were met with the celebration in front of them. It was a sight to behold, everyone together, the area decorated with lights and handmade pieces, a long table draped with a white tablecloth, full of everyone's homemade dishes laid right in the middle of the field, surrounded with enough chairs for everyone in town, plus one. The children were running around and playing together while the adults sat and talked, laughing and gesturing in enjoyment. None of the food was touched quite yet; everyone was waiting for Link and his companion to arrive before they started. 

Link made his way over to the gate, waiting for her to catch up behind him. Once she did, he turned to her, but the look on her face brought him into a daze.

Her eyes glowed with wonder and excitement; it was all so beautiful, and she said just as much. Excitedly pointing to the lanterns adorning the barn, she turned to meet his eyes, and for a moment, he felt something stir inside him. The way the orange glow of the lights illuminated her skin made Link feel something he couldn't even begin to describe, but the reality of the moment made him push it down, mistaking it as possible hunger from the smell of food off in the distance. 

"Hey, there they are!" A voice called from the table, Link recognizing it as Pergie, Talo and Malo's mother. She waved them over, standing up from her seat along with everyone else once the two reached the table with their dish in hand. "So glad you two could _finally_ make it. We've been waiting forever!" She laughed heartily, patting Link on the back with enough force that it sent him slightly forward.

At the sound of the commotion, the children came running over, forming a circle around the two newest arrivals. They chattered away, asking questions and demanding to be sat next to one of them during the dinner, almost beginning to argue with each other until a stern, yet sweet voice silenced them. 

Emerging from behind the group of adults was Ilia, her arms crossed. "All right, all right. That's enough." She scolded, her face eventually going from stern to one with a smile. "Go on and sit down, the Harvest Feast will be starting now that everyone is here." 

With defeated sighs, the children made their way toward the table, sitting down near the very end, where the children always sat. The adults began to sit down too, taking their usual seats back and moving things around on the table to make room for the rather large item Link was holding. With a grunt, Link plopped the pumpkin down on the table. 

"Did you just bring a pumpkin?!" Talo exclaimed, almost exasperated. A look from Ilia made him quiet again.

Smiling in response, Link took the top off of the pumpkin to reveal the contents of the wonderfully-made beef stew. Everyone gasped in surprise before giving a small round of applause. "What a smart idea!" Bo, Ilia's father and Mayor of Ordon Village, praised with a chuckle. The children burst into their own small fit of giggles. Everyone was in high spirits.

Ilia clasped her hands together excitedly, turning to Link with a sweet smile. "That's such a fun idea, Link! I love it!" She came closer to him, which made him flustered, but before he could correct her on who thought of the idea Ilia grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the table, sitting him down next to her as his companion was left to find her seat next to Uli, who was holding her baby, across and a ways down the table from him. He tried to offer her a look of apology, but she smiled and waved in response.

Sitting between Uli and Colin, the girl found herself losing feeling in her hands. They were shaking and cold, turning pale from the nerves she was keeping in check as best as she could. She wasn't used to such big gatherings; her only family back home was herself and her father, and they certainly never celebrated anything together. She was afraid to embarrass herself, to mess things up, or to simply be there. A part of her was sure she was only invited as a courtesy. After all, she had barely talked to anyone after arriving, and was only in town because Link was letting her stay with him for the time being. She didn't want to intrude on something so personal.

Even as the dinner began, she only took what was directly in front of her, never daring to ask for something out of an arms reach. Even though she wanted to try some of the stew she had helped Link make, it was too far up the table, and thus untouchable. As everyone conversed with one another, she sat in silence, trying her best to swallow the food she served herself, even though she didn't feel very hungry anymore. Despite her upset, however, she made sure to seem content with what she was doing, giving out a smile every time someone gazed in her general direction. 

It felt warm around her, extremely warm, even though her hands were as cold as ice. In an attempt to ground herself, she took a deep breath and sighed, but that only brought her the attention of Uli, who offered a look of concern as she soothed the baby in her arms.

"Everything alright, dear?"

The younger girl sputtered before giving a reply. "Oh! Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just full and kind of tired from the cooking." It was the only excuse she could think of giving, but even then it wasn't much of a lie. Her anxiety kept her from eating too much, and cooking was certainly a lot of work.

Uli's eyes lit up as she smiled at her. "You helped Link cook? Was it your idea to put the soup inside of a pumpkin?" She asked.

The girl nodded. "I thought it was a fun idea, since pumpkins are popular here." She knew she couldn't say that the idea was obtained from the newest game in the series from which their world resided.

"Well, they are the main crop we grow!" The two women shared a laugh, continuing a small conversation as the night continued. On the other side of the table, a small ways down, Link sat between Ilia and her father, listening to her talk about the most recent developments in both the town and her personal life, occasionally reminiscing about the time she spent in Kakariko as Link was off saving the land. But once he heard the laughter resounding from Uli and the girl's spot at the table, he couldn't help but land his gaze there.

Seeing that she was enjoying herself, especially after feeling the way she did earlier, Link couldn't help but smile at the sight. Noticing his lack of attention, Ilia silenced and followed his gaze curiously, her eyes landing on what he was seeing. A strange feeling poked at her, and so she turned back and tapped Link on the shoulder, huffing at him. "Were you listening at all?" She asked, to which Link gave her a guilty look as he scratched the back of his head. 

Ilia felt herself become down. Was it possible? Could he have...? At that thought, she panicked. She whipped her head back toward Link, leaning closer. "Link," Ilia began, feeling her chest tighten. She clenched her hand to her heart. "Link, do you-" Before she could finish, Ilia lost her will to continue, slumping back into her seat and returning to her food, her face red. "No, nevermind." 

Link looked at her in confusion and apology. Did he upset her by losing focus? He didn't mean to. But even so, the night continued on, Ilia refusing to so much as look at him out of both melancholy and embarrassment. Link found himself alone at the table, left to watch as the girl on the other side was engaged in a happy conversation with both Uli and Colin now, her face bright. He didn't mind. He was just glad that she was enjoying herself.

As the two walked home side by side after the feast, Link carrying what was left of the soup inside of the pumpkin, the girl beside him spoke up. "You know," she sighed, looking up at the stars. "I really love it here. In this Hyrule. Its always been my favorite." Turning to him with eyes reflecting the skies above, she said words he would never forget.

"You've always been my favorite."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to end this off by saying that in no way will Ilia be a mean villainess. It just feels too out of character for her honestly. I can't see her bullying someone, but I can see her making kind of selfish decisions sometimes. That's how she will mostly be when it comes to the situation between her, Link, and the Female Lead.


	4. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its snowing in Ordon, so the two decide to have a little fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning! Blood is mentioned in this chapter. Its nothing serious, but do be careful if you don't like the mention of it.

Link opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the bright light that was seeping through the window beside his bed. He knew that, despite the fact it was bright outside, it was still early. He wasn't one for sleeping in, even on his days off. 

Rising out of bed, he gazed at the scenery before him. The sky was a pure white, small flecks of the same color flowing softly to the ground, coating everything in a blanket of soft snow. A cold breeze flew past, making its way through Link's window and bringing snowflakes with it that melted as soon as they hit the floor. Link let out a harsh breath through his nose and closed the curtains. Good thing he decided to put Epona in the barn last night.

Making his way down to the bottom floor, Link stopped once he reached the first loft. Standing there, looking out a window next to the doorway, was her. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, shielding her from the cold, as she leaned against the windowsill to watch the delicate snowflakes fall freely from the sky, head resting dreamily on her hands. Her face was content, eyes shining as they moved to watch specific flakes make their way down. Smiling, Link continued down the next ladder, walking over to join her at the window. 

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She greeted enthusiastically, giving him the biggest smile she could muster. Link scratched the back of his head bashfully at the nickname. "Did you see? Its snowing!" 

When Link nodded silently, she continued, "I've never seen this much snow. Back in my world, it didn't snow much where I lived. Well, it started to, but that was actually a bad thing." Turning back to look out the window again, she let out a happy sigh, her warm breath creating a cloud in the cold air. "Its so nice." 

Link couldn't help but agree. The winters in Ordon were always nice; never too harsh, just peaceful and scenic. Though, after living here his entire life, it really wasn't anything new. At the very least, he was glad she was enjoying it. He couldn't imagine what winters were like in her world, judging from things she had told him both now and in the past. She said she had lived in a city, similar to Castle Town, where the buildings reached the skies and the air was full of different kinds of pollution. The very idea sounded depressing to Link.

Walking into the kitchen, Link decided to fix breakfast, pouring himself a cup of Lavender tea that his roommate had already brewed. Starting the furnace back up, he got to work, the time passing by in silence. The girl stayed in her place by the window, happy to watch the snow fall for as long as she could, pulling her blanket closer to her frame as another breeze passed by. Once breakfast was finished, Link served a plate for the both of them, setting them down on the table and purposefully clearing his throat so he could get the girl's attention.

"Oh! Sorry." She apologized, leaving the window and sitting down across from him at the table. Pouring some honey over her breakfast- it was pancakes- and serving herself some more tea, her eyes couldn't help but wander back to the sight outside. It simply captivated her, and Link could see it clearly. He found it kind of endearing, like when a child sees something shiny in the window of a store. It was written all over her face; she wanted to go outside. 

But, Link realized that she didn't have any clothes suited for the weather. The only clothes she had were the ones she arrived to this world in, and the ones he let her borrow from his storage, which she was wearing currently. He began to feel a little bad for her. Maybe they'd have to go clothes shopping in Castle Town, unless he could find something warmer for her to wear here. Link was pretty sure he gave her what he could find in his storage...

Suddenly, he remembered something. Finishing the rest of his breakfast as fast as he could, earning a 'woah' from the girl across him, Link stood abruptly from the table, his chair being shoved back with a screech. He ran into the next room, saying nothing, leaving his companion alone at the table to finish on her own and clean up. "I guess he really had to go." She shrugged. As she was finishing washing the dishes, a loud bang followed by a crash resounded from where Link had run off to, alerting her to trouble. 

Following in Link's footsteps by running into the area before the storage, she looked around the room in a panic, only to find Link standing in the middle of a pile of broken crates, a dopey smile on his face as he fiddled with a dust-covered lantern in his hands. "Goodness gracious, Link! Are you okay?!" She ran over to him, grabbing his arm to get his attention. He looked over to her and nodded before returning to fiddle with the knob on the lantern, twisting it to try and turn it on. "Why are you trying to turn on your old lantern?" 

After multiple failed attempts, Link opted to smack it and then try again, to which he found himself successful. The flame within the lantern sparked to life, radiating a yellow glow and soft warmth. Handing the lantern to the girl beside him wordlessly, he began making his way down to the storage, beckoning for her to follow.

"We're going down to the storage?" A shudder made its way up her spine as she followed him down the ladder to the pitch-black room. "I hate it down here. There's that spooky mirror that makes you look like a shadow."

Link actually let out a bit of a chuckle at that. It was true; the mirror could make him look a bit weird if the lighting of the lantern was right. The first time they came down here together, she nearly screamed loud enough to break it when he tried to scare her for fun. He knew to never try that again, however. He was pretty sure he still had a click in his jaw from where she punched him in an attempt to protect herself.

Walking over to a pile of boxes on the left, Link began taking down the ones from the top, setting them beside him to shuffle through their contents. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he haphazardly shoved them back together and placed them in a separate pile. After searching through multiple boxes, they finally came upon a smaller one, backed up against the wall at the top of a very tall pile. Link had a good feeling about this one.

Motioning for her to come closer with the lantern, Link climbed up the pile, reaching far to grab the small box. Once it was in his hands, he sneaked a peek at its contents, smiling wide when he saw that it was just what he was looking for. Jumping back down, he handed it to his companion with enthusiasm. 

Confused, she looked between him and the box a few times before handing him the lantern in exchange. "You want me to open it?" She asked, her eyebrows arching. After she received Link's approval, she slipped the top off the box to reveal its contents.

Inside were a pair of boots, a little worn, but still in good condition. Alongside it was an old knitted scarf and pair of mittens in a pale grey. Picking up the mittens with care, she looked them over, admiring their handiwork. "These are adorable," she complimented, putting them back inside the box. "Were these yours from when you were younger? You had such tiny hands." She went to hand the box back to him.

Link shook his head and pushed the box back to her. She seemed confused again for a moment, before her eyes widened with realization. "Are you giving these to me?" She asked, her voice full of disbelief. Nodding, Link placed a hand on her head like he always did, watching as her eyes softened and a smile made its way onto her face, her hands reaching to pick up the scarf. "I love them. But, wait- does this mean- can we go outside together?!" 

The phrasing of her question caught Link a bit by surprise. He knew she wanted to go outside, but the fact she wanted to go outside with him _specifically_ made him feel kind of special. "Let's go, let's go!" The girl pulled at his hand, leading him back to the ladder and climbing up, immediately sitting down on the sofa to switch from her indoor slippers to the boots inside the box. Link turned off the lantern and put it back where he found it, opting to clean up the mess of broken crates later. He had something more important to do right now.

Once they were all ready to face the cold, the two of them stepped outside the door. By now, the snow had lightened a bit, but the ground and trees were still heavily blanketed in it. Link rubbed his gloved hands together out of habit, remembering that he was wearing the pair she had made for him a couple months ago. He smiled, but it wasn't visible due to his scarf blocking his mouth.

The sound of giggling caught Link's attention. He looked over at the girl beside him, seeing her cup her hands together to catch snowflakes, watching as they melted on the woolen surface of her mittens. She continued giggling, though her mouth wasn't visible due to her scarf either. The only thing Link could see was her eyes that squinted every time she laughed.

Despite the fact they were already outside, the fun was yet to begin. Climbing down the ladder, the two of them landed in what was already a whole foot of snow, the substance latching onto their clothes. Link began trudging through to check on his little makeshift scarecrow, wiping the snow off of its bucket head just for the fun of it. In the meantime, his companion was too busy stomping around in the snow to see him get an idea in his head. 

Keeping an eye on her as her back faced him, Link leaned down, scooping some snow into his hands and squeezing it into a decently-sized ball. Seeing that she was still facing away from him, he smirked and took aim.

"Jesus Christ that's cold!" She yelled out as the snowball made contact with the back of her head, snow falling down into her shirt. Whipping around, she saw Link standing behind her with a look of pure mischief as he held another snowball. "Oh, you little shit-" Her sentence was cut off by another snowball making contact with her face.

Wiping her eyes and sputtering out the snow that went into her mouth, she laughed maniacally out loud and ducked as another ball came flying toward her, hitting a tree behind her. Quickly grabbing snow into her own hands, she made a large snowball and threw it as hard as she could, only to see it fall just a few inches short of Link. "Son of a-" She tried again, this time making it a little smaller, and dodged out of the way of another one before taking aim and throwing. 

The snowball careened right into Link's chest, to which she let out a triumphant laugh, already ducking down to grab more snow. Link, on the other hand, decided that a more melee approach was better, and came running toward her, snowball in hand. Seeing him come closer at an alarming speed, she haphazardly scooped up her snowball and ran in the opposite direction, looking behind her to throw the ball which was easily dodged. Cursing, she ducked just in time to miss one ball, but another came equally as fast and hit her on the shoulder.

Letting out a curse, she slid to a stop and quickly ran in another direction to make another snowball while Link was preoccupied making more of his own. She was shaking with adrenaline, but in a good way. Her face may have been cold, but she felt warm and out of breath from running and laughing. Her hands were numb, but not from anxiety this time. Right now, everything was about pelting the shit out of the Hero of Hyrule with snowballs. 

Her eyes so were focused on squeezing her snow into a ball while she ran, to the point she didn't see that there was something in front of her. Just as she was about to turn around and aim, she made contact with it, face first, the sheer force of contact knocking her onto her back. She reeled in pain, dropping her snowball and covering her nose as she let out a loud groan. Everything began to feel murky, stars danced in her vision as she looked up to see that she had ran right into a tree. 

As soon as he saw what happened, Link was immediately at her side, helping her sit up as he felt himself slightly panic with concern. Her eyes were unfocused for a moment, her hands still clenched around her nose. She groaned loudly, before blinking rapidly for a few seconds and letting her eyes settle on Link's concerned face. She was silent for a few moments, which made him panic even more, until... she suddenly burst into laughter. 

Her hands left her nose as she went to clutch her stomach, revealing that, at least, it wasn't broken. Her laughter continued, increasingly becoming more and more high pitched. "Oh- Oh man!" She wheezed out, leaning forward to reel herself back together. "I ran... right into a tree! I can't-" Her words were barely intelligible through her wheezing. 

Her laughter continued on for a moment, but the sight of a deep crimson dripping onto the snow in front of her made her quiet down in confusion. Reaching up to touch her lips, she pulled them back to see the grey wool stained a deep burgundy. Gasping, a metallic taste made its way into her mouth, making her gag. She looked up at Link in a panic, seeing him become extremely alarmed, his eyes wide as he looked almost in horror. Standing, he offered her his hand to help her up, supporting her when she stumbled out of dizziness.

Keeping a hand clutched over her nose to prevent her clothes from becoming dirty, she followed Link back into the house, letting him guide her to the sofa to sit down as he searched for a rag to clean up all the blood dripping from her nose. He returned with a small cloth and a bowl of water, dipping the rag before kneeling on the floor beside her. Moving her hands away from her nose, he began carefully dabbing away the blood on her face.

"I'm okay, I can do it myself-" Link simply interrupted her with a shake of his head, moving the cloth out of her reach and giving her a look. She slumped her shoulders, deciding to let him do as he pleased, glancing around the room in an attempt to distract herself from the dull pain in her nose. Eventually, her gaze landed back on Link. He wore an expression of almost sadness- more like guilt. His lips were turned in a small frown, eyebrows lightly furrowed together. It made her feel a little bad. She didn't want him to blame himself for what happened.

Once he was done cleaning up the blood, Link rinsed the cloth in the bowl of water, turning it an almost wine color. Straining out the cloth, he handed it back to her for her to keep over her nose, just in case, before leaving to dump out the soiled water and placing the bowl in the washbasin. 

Returning to the sofa, Link sat down in his usual spot, a whole seat between them. He was still in his outdoor clothing, but he felt too lazy to take them off right now. On the other hand, the girl had already shed her blood-stained mittens and taken off the scarf and boots, setting them aside politely and leaning back to rest her head with her eyes closed. After a few moments of silence, she opened her eyes and turned to him, scooting across the sofa to sit directly beside him, their sides touching. 

The sudden contact made Link tense on impulse, which she noticed. "Sorry," she quietly apologized, but she didn't move. Instead, she leaned her head on his shoulder, rag still placed on her nose, and closed her eyes again as she sighed. "Just... let me borrow your shoulder for a bit. I'm in a good mood. I had fun today." 

Link couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. He had never seen her like this before. Lately, she had been showing sides of herself that he never got to see before, even while they were travelling together. It made him feel something he couldn't quite understand. It was a warm feeling, but it also made him anxious, as if he were adverse to it. 

A part of his mind nagged at him. his everyday life now involved her. How would he feel once she left? She was the only other person in this world who truly understood the horrors of battling the Twilight- Midna had been gone a long time. She was also the only other person he felt could understand his sadness at the aforementioned Princess' departure. Sure, there was Zelda, but she was almost untouchable. Simply being the Hero wasn't enough to see the Princess of Hyrule on a regular basis.

Link knew that she would always welcome him to wherever she ended up, be it Kakariko or Lake Hylia. But something in him felt like it wouldn't be enough. 

"Hey, Link?" Her voice caught his attention again. Her tone sounded more content, more happy. She brought her head up to look at him in the eyes, moving the cloth down from her face. "Thanks for always doing your best to make me happy. I hope I can do the same for you, too, someday." She laughed a little, offering him another large smile before returning to lean on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, breathing in his scent of pine and firewood, unable to see the blush that reached to the tip of his ears. 


End file.
